Welcome to this Mountain Meditation.
Come into a comfortable seat,
Spine over the hips,
Chin parallel to the earth.
The crown of your head reaches upward.
Allow the palms to face upward on your thighs or knees.
And as you begin to settle in,
Gently close the eyes,
Relax the face.
See if you can let go of any clenching or holding within the body.
Allow the body to soften.
Let's take a few minutes to arrive by taking a few full deep breaths.
As you inhale,
Feel the belly,
Ribs,
Diaphragm,
Chest expand.
As you exhale,
Feel the body soften and relax.
See if you can allow the body to breathe you.
Join each breath throughout this practice.
Allow yourself to become the breath as it flows through you.
Become the breath as it flows in.
Become the breath as it flows out.
With each inhale,
Receive presence.
With each exhale,
Release what no longer serves you today.
As you continue breathing,
Bring to mind the most majestic mountain you have ever seen in your lifetime.
Maybe you had the privilege of seeing it in person.
Maybe it's been through movies or pictures.
Imagine its jagged slopes,
Blankets of trees,
Maybe snow.
Feel this image of the mountain and its splendor in your mind's eye.
Notice the vastness and how still the mountain is.
Begin to imagine your body as the mountain.
Your lower body becomes the base of the mountain,
Steady,
Grounded,
Stable.
Maybe with roots growing into the earth,
Allow your posture to represent the dignified height of the mountain that you envision.
Your shoulders become the slopes,
Your head the summit or peak.
As you inhale,
Feel the peak of the mountain rise.
As you exhale,
Feel the roots ground into the earth.
You are a still point on this earth,
Just like a mountain.
Mountains have a vastness,
Strength,
Stability.
No matter what humans,
Weather systems or change comes to the mountain.
The mountain is immovable,
Strong,
Still,
Resilient.
The mountain is a metaphor for mindfulness.
Just as the mountain is unfazed by whatever comes its way.
The mountain represents the silent strength that you possess within you here in this practice.
Just like the mountain,
You too can remain still and strong in the face of adversity or the changes in our human weather systems,
Such as difficult emotions.
We can tap into this practice both on and off the cushion.
We can remain grounded and calm throughout all changes as we move through life.
We can embody the mountain.
This stillness,
This peace,
This is your true nature.
You are the mountain.
You are the mountain.
